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Spring of discontent?

Lately something that really amazes me is that following the General election there is continued discontent on the TV every night concerning many different issues around cuts and austerity.

Yet my fellow Englishman and woman decided that all this was rosy in their garden and to look the other way, and in an act of sheer selfishness vote against the man that would have put it right!

Although I am not religious it rather reminds me of the hill at Calvary when another man with the initials JC was crucified in the middle of a murderer and a thief.

When asked by the Roman soldier who the crowd wanted to be set free, they all shouted in unison ‘the thief Barabbas’.

So seemingly my fellow English citizens seem quite prepared to look the other way, so long as austerity and Tory cuts do not affect them.Therefore seemingly the ‘Nasty Party’ now has a massive mandate to carry on regardless from where they left off over the last ten years and turn the thumb screws ever tighter. But if one is not affected by any of it, then that’s OK, well isn’t it?

Graham Woodward, Nelson Street, Swindon

Well done council

As the British winter on our island comes to its end. Make no mistake about it, it makes its mark in retreat from the forthcoming spring as the daffodils and crocuses burst out in all their coloured glory.

I refer to the recent gale force winds we have all endured. On a personal note I was soaked to the skin, and I mean soaked. On Sunday afternoon after putting my rubbish out and then having to retrieve my two plastic containers with cans and papers blown all over my street by the wind.Thanks to my son looking out his bedroom window. Now secured by two large stones from the rear of my house.

It is not often that I praise Swindon council. However after walking my dog along Merlin Way at 4pm on Sunday. I had to walk around a large tree blown down by the wind, and onto the main road. It had fallen onto the footpath akin to the Wrenswood flats. On taking my dog out at 7pm to my surprise the tree had been dissected and the footpath was clear.

Considering the fact that I suspect there was more than one tree blown down in our area. I was very impressed by the speedy action.

Bill Williams, Merlin Way, Covingham

Mill Lane closure

It seems that Swindon Council, in its wisdom, is going to close Mill Lane to vehicular traffic in order to facilitate more housing on the flood plains that encompass the troubled Wichelstowe development.

Along with others who expressed concern, we received a rather perfunctory letter from the Traffic Management section informing us that the closure is going ahead. We were referred to the documents on the council website which confirm, in my opinion, the worst fears of this poor decision.

Could any of the council members involved in this decision please enlighten me as to the effect of this closure on traffic in and out of Old Town via Croft Road, Wootton Bassett Road and Swindon’s most polluted thoroughfare, Kingshill Road?

Has the volume of commuter traffic from to and from Nationwide been considered? Have the thoughts of Wroughton residents been considered now that the amount of traffic using Perrys Lane and Wharf Road will almost certainly increase?

On reading the documents it seems 114 views were submitted during the consultation of which 26 were in favour of closure and 88 were against.

Ged Meheran, Goddard Avenue, Swindon